The fourth and last project managers Online Discussion Event will take place in the period 11th-13th November 2012 and will be moderated by Marisa Hernández. During the three day event the participating project managers are invited to express their opinion on the Reach Out Toolkit developed within the DESIRE project.This Toolkit proposes recommendations to ease managers and researchers in STEM education projects the diffusion and exploitation of their outcomes to stakeholders.

This Online Discussion Event aims to present the results of the research carried out within the DESIRE project to understand how STEM education projects’ outcomes are currently disseminated and how they could be better communicated to different stakeholders. The outcomes of the research are briefly presented in a practical guide called Reach Out Toolkit based on the results of a survey and several discussion events were data from the main target groups (project managers, researchers, teachers, policy-makers, science communicators, science event organisers) active in STEM education were collected in the context of the DESIRE project.

Marisa Hernandez is a research assistant and member of the Executive Board of the Centre for Research in Science and Mathematics Education (CRECIM) of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona, Spain. She has a BA in Physics and PhD in Science Education.

With a staff of 9 full-time employees, 5 part-time secondary school teachers, and 3 PhD students, CRECIM manages a number of national projects and local initiatives on science and technology education. They cover a broad range of topics, from digital classrooms in science lessons (ADIGIC) and technology enhanced science learning for children in hospital (TEACH); to school-university (REVIR) and school-industry (Prat de la Riba) collaboration.

Our methodology:The DESIRE project based its results on data collected from stakeholders (project managers, science communicators, advisors of policy makers, and teachers) involved in 31 national and European STEM education projects. The data was collected through questionnaires and discussion events (like this online discussion event, or using Google Hangouts, or face-to-face) from stakeholders participating in research and innovation projects funded by the European Commission (7th Framework Programme, Lifelong Learning Programme, etc.) or by other institutions, such as Ministries of Education of different countries, public or private organizations or societies.

Some research outcomes of the DESIRE project:Half of the most engaged and active STEM teachers in Europe (n=105) who have participated in European or national research projects involved in the DESIRE project feel that they do not receive enough information about the outcomes from European and national STEM education projects. We can assume that STEM teachers who do not usually participate in funded projects receive much less information on projects’ outcomes or do not receive any information at all, since they have neither direct network nor direct connections to research or innovation projects.

Similarly, around two thirds of project managers (n=26) consider that they do not receive much information about the outcomes from European, international or national projects.

More than half of policy makers (n=15) also have the perception that they do not receive enough information on European projects’ outcomes.

The role of the DESIRE Reach Out Toolkit:After analysing several obstacles and facilitators to promote more effective dissemination and exploitation of STEM education project outcomes among stakeholders, the DESIRE Reach Out Toolkit has taken these research outcomes into account to provide information and tools on how to plan and implement dissemination and exploitation strategies.

Your feedback:These research results are summarised in pages 10-14 of the DESIRE Reach Out Toolkit. What is your opinion on the research study carried out in the DESIRE project? What reflections do its outcomes suggest to you as researcher or manager of STEM education projects?

Thanks for this research! Indeed, as a project manager, I do not receive sufficient information regarding projects... Why are we so many in the same case? Do you think that having some networking events with other project managers could help? And maybe include the national, regional and local projects? This could also lead to new collaborations between projects...

Do you think that having some networking events with other project managers could help? And maybe include the national, regional and local projects? This could also lead to new collaborations between projects... Isn't there a Network of Practice of project managers to build?

Hi Didier,

I definitely think that networking with other project managers is a good way to keep informed of many projects' outcomes going on, and to start new collaborations. An an example, the recent event held in Antalya (Turkey) 'IOSTE Eurasian Regional Symposium & Brokerage Event Horizon 2020' must have facilitated exchange and further relationships among managers of different projects funded by the 7th FP. In fact, Peter Gray was one of the invited keynote speakers. He is one of the coordinators of ProCoNet, a group which currently comprises the coordinators of EU FP7 projects in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Education, together with colleagues from similar projects funded from other sources. The group tries to meet to discuss matters of mutual concern in the widespread dissemination of inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE).

As highlighted in the DESIRE Reach Out Toolkit (p.32), many professional networks and associations such as ESERA or NARST already exist to help project managers, researchers and teachers to communicate their works and outcomes and to facilitate exchange and collaboration. In the conferences organized by these associations, outcomes from projects funded by EU, national or local bodies are usually presented and that is why many project managers consider that international or national conferences "still play a key role in our(STEM education) community"

Do you think that having some networking events with other project managers could help? And maybe include the national, regional and local projects? This could also lead to new collaborations between projects... Isn't there a Network of Practice of project managers to build?

Hi Didier,

I definitely think that networking with other project managers is a good way to keep informed of many projects' outcomes going on, and to start new collaborations. An an example, the recent event held in Antalya (Turkey) 'IOSTE Eurasian Regional Symposium & Brokerage Event Horizon 2020' must have facilitated exchange and further relationships among managers of different projects funded by the 7th FP. In fact, Peter Gray was one of the invited keynote speakers. He is one of the coordinators of ProCoNet, a group which currently comprises the coordinators of EU FP7 projects in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Education, together with colleagues from similar projects funded from other sources. The group tries to meet to discuss matters of mutual concern in the widespread dissemination of inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE).

As highlighted in the DESIRE Reach Out Toolkit (p.32), many professional networks and associations such as ESERA or NARST already exist to help project managers, researchers and teachers to communicate their works and outcomes and to facilitate exchange and collaboration. In the conferences organized by these associations, outcomes from projects funded by EU, national or local bodies are usually presented and that is why many project managers consider that international or national conferences "still play a key role in our(STEM education) community"

1. Projects devoted to produce outcomes might be followed by projects specifically addressed to disseminate and exploit those results

This is nice idea indeed; however, it is always a bit frustrating to build a whole project proposal just for disseminating the last one... Another great mechanism would be that some successful projects receive extra-funding at the end for dissemination, and for sharing the successful experience with other project managers.

Thanks for this research! Indeed, as a project manager, I do not receive sufficient information regarding projects... Why are we so many in the same case? Do you think that having some networking events with other project managers could help? And maybe include the national, regional and local projects? This could also lead to new collaborations between projects...